Corn cleaner and separator



July 1, 1952 T. W. GONDER CORN CLEANER AND SEPARATOR 2 SHEETSSHEET 1Filed Nov. 17, 1950 INVENTOR. B THOMAS W Go/vose, 3 BY w wuaa 5W w 19m A7'7'0/9/VEYJ' Jul 1, 1952 QND R 2,601,924

CORN CLEANER AND SEPARATOR Filed NOV- 17, 1950 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 F/G. a

INVENTOR. THO/V46 M. GOA 051e,

Patented July 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CORN CLEANER ANDSEPARATOR Thomas W. Gender, Viola, Tenn. Application November 17, 1950,Serial No. 196,210 2 Claims. (Cl. 209-284) This invention appertains toimprovements in rotatable separators for separating and classifyingvarious types of granular material and particularly relates to novel anduseful improvements in grain separators. v

The primary object of this invention is to provide a compact and durableapparatus for cleaning shelled corn, whereby the coarse material, suchas shucks and cobs, is collected and commonly discharged, with the knubgrains and dirt being commonly discharged and the desired kernels beingaccumulated and discharged into a suitable receiver.

Another-object of this invention is to provide a separator, whichincludes three unitarily rotatable frusto-conical drums, which arearranged in concentric spaced relation on a rotating drive shaft, onwhich a hopper enclosed feed screw conveyor is circumposed fordelivering material into the minor end of the inner drum, wherebyrotation of the drums will sort the material with the coarse materialbeing expelled from the major end of the inner perforate drum, thedesired corn kernels being discharged from the major end of theperforate intermediate drum into a stationary transverse receiver andthe dirt and other matter, such as knubgrains, be- 7 ing discharged fromthe major end of the outer drum into a stationary transverse receiver.

These and ancillary objects and structural features of merit areattained by this invention, the preferred embodiment of which is setforth in the following description and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the improved separator;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 ofFigure 2, and,

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-5 of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, thecentrifugal separator ll] includes a rectangular open base frame 12, onthe opposing ends of which upright triangular supporting frames l4 andI5 are mounted. Rigidifying and stabilizing bars it support the uprightframes i4 and IS in a perpendicular plane to the base frame l2.

Bearing members 2i; and 22 are formed at the apices of the uprightframes l4 and I6 and a drive shaft 24 is rotatably journaled therein,the shaft being driven by a pulley 24 circumposed on the projecting endthereof. Obviously, a belt operatively connected to the pulley 24 andencompasses the inner end of the screw conveyor 2%. 1

A plurality of frusto-conical shaped concentrically arranged drums 38are secured to the shaft 24, intermedidate the upright frames, the drumsbeing interconnected for unitary rotation. The outer drum 40 isimperforate and is formed at its minor end with a transverse wall 42,the wall being provided with a central opening and a hub 44 beingformed'on the end wall in alignment with the center opening, the hub 44enclosing the free end of the delivery extension 36 of the hopper.

A mounting member 45 is circumposed on the shaft and supports the hub 44by means of radial spokes 48, the hub 44 and the spokes d8 mounting theminor ends of the drums on the shaft. An annular baflie plate Ell isformed on the hub l and projects inwardly at right angles therefrom, thebaffle being provided with a center opening 52, whereby the baffle isspaced out of engagement with the mounting member 46 and the inner endof the screw conveyor 26.

The intermediate drum 54 and the inner drum 5% are provided withfrusto-conical shaped frames, each being provided at its major end withrigid annular bands 53 and having spaced bars 59 extending therefrom tothe wall d2. Foraminous screens 63] and Bl are secured on the frames sothat, the intermedidate and inner drums constitute frusto-conical shapeddrum screens, which are perforate and which permit the centrifugalseparation of the material'delivered to the open end 34 of the hopper.The major ends of the inner and intermediate drums protrude outwardlyfrom the major end of the outer drum, so that the major ends of thedrums are arranged in staggered series, with the major end of the innerdrum being disposed in adjacency to the upright support [4 and beingprovided with an annular band 63 so that the exthe outer ends of theconnecting bars being fastened to the band 58 and the drums beingconnected in spaced fashion adjacent their major ends by radialconnectors 65.

Stationary receivers'BS and 68 are provided and underlie the major ordelivery ends of the outer and intermediate drums. The receivers aredisposed in side by side relation and are transversely arranged withrespect to the major ends of the drums. The receiver 66 is formed withan enlarged arcuate upper portion [9 arranged concentric to the lowerportion of the outer drum 6!), the arcuate portion being U- shaped andbeing open at its upper end for the reception of the material expelledfrom the outer drum. The receiver is tapered inwardly from the upperportion to form a projecting reduced discharge duct 12. The receiver 68is similarly constructed and is afiixed at its upper portion to theupper portion of the receiver 66, with supporting bars M and 16attaching the receiver 68 to the upright support M.

In use, corn or similar material is delivered to the hopper 28 by asuitable conveyor and the corn is advanced by the screw conveyor 26, un-

der rotation of the shaft 24, to the minor end of the inner drum 56. Thebafiie 52 prevents the corn from working back out of the inner drumscreen and is carried by the hub 44 which revolves with the rotatingdrums, the drums rotating as a unit. As the drums rotate, the shucks,cobs and coarser material are retained within the inner drum 55 andexpelled from the major end thereof into a suitable receptacle (notshown). Under the centrifugal action, the kernels, knub grains and dirtare cast outwardly into the intermediate drum screen 54, which retainsthe kernels, and discharges them from its major end or discharge endinto the receiver 68. The dirt and knub grains are retained by the outerimperforate drum 40 and expelled into the receiver 66.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. A separator comprising a pair of opposed upright supports, a shaftrotatably journaled in the supports and disposed horizontallytherebetween, drive means for said shaft, a screw conveyor circumposedon the shaft adjacent one of the journaled ends thereof, a hopperencompassing the screw conveyor, means mounting the hopper on one of thesupports, a plurality of concentrically arranged frusto-conical drumscircumposed on the shaft with their minor ends contiguous with the screwconveyor, means radially connecting the drums for unitary rotation andspacing them apart, said drums including perforate inner andintermediate drum screens and an outer imperforate drum, said outer drumhaving a transverse end wall formed on its minor end and engaging theminor ends of the intermediate and inner drum screens, said transverseend wall being centrally apertured, a hub formed on said end inalignment with the aperture and arranged concentric to the shaft withinthe minor end of the inner drum screen, a cylindrical delivery extensionon the hopper disposed within the hub and in concentric arrangementtherewith, a lateral baffle arranged interiorly of said hub and disposedat right angles to the hopper extension adjacent the end thereof andhaving a center opening smaller than the interior diameter of saidhopper extension and spaced out of engagement with respect to the shaft,radial spokes connecting the hub to the shaft, radial connectors securedto the major end of the inner drum screen and the hub, and stationaryreceivers mounted below and in communication with the major ends of theouter and intermediate drums, said receivers having discharge endsextending in opposite directions and at right angles to the drums.

2. A separator comprising a pair of opposed upright supports, a shaftrotatably journaled in the supports and disposed horizontallytherebetween, drive means for said shaft, a screw conveyor circumposedon the shaft adjacent one of the journaled ends thereof, a hopperencompassing the screw conveyor, means mounting the hopper on one of thesupports, a plurality of concentrically arranged frusto-conical drumscircumposed on the shaft with their minor ends contiguous with the screwconveyor, means radially connecting the drums for unitary rotation andspacing them apart, said drums including perforate irmer andintermediate drum screens and an outer imperforate drum, said outer drumhaving a transverse end wall formed on its minor end and engaging theminor ends of the intermediate and inner drum screens, said transverseend wall being centrally apertured, a hub formed on said end inalignment with the aperture and arranged concentric to the shaft withinthe minor end of the inner drum screen, a cylindrical delivery extensionon the hopper disposed within the hub and in concentric arrangementtherewith, a lateral baiile arranged interiorly of said hub and disposedat right angles to the hopper extension adjacent the end thereof andhaving a center opening smaller than the interior diameter of saidhopper extension and spaced-out of engagement with respect to the shaft,radial spokes connecting the hub to the shaft, radial connectors securedto the major end of the inner drum screen and the hub, and stationaryreceivers mounted below and in communication with the major ends of theouter and intermediate drums, said receivers having discharge endsextending in opposite directions and at right angles to the drums, saidreceivers being supported by the opposing support and having arcuateenlarged upper ends disposed concentric to the lower portions of themajor ends of the outer and intermediate drums and tapering dischargeducts.

THOMAS W. GONDER.

REFERENSES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 81,567 Wiseheart Aug. 25, 186892,327 Loefiel July 6, 1869 387,204 Beeman Aug. 7, 1888 433,096Sadravezt July 29, 1890 842,614 Blass Jan. 29, 1907 1,305,223 KinreadMay 27, 1919 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 11,649 Denmark Dec. 19,1908

